CASEY GEORG Special to the Press
THRALL — The Thrall Tigers entered the 2023-2024 season with district championship expectations. A few stumbles along the way have relegated them to third place, but with their 25-5 season record, and 8-4 District 27-2A mark, they have had one of the most successful seasons in Tiger history.
Thrall has struggled at times this season against strong teams, but on Tuesday, the Tigers capped off their regular season with a 59-43 win over their long-time rivals, and 27-2A champion Thorndale Bulldogs (28-4, 11-1). The win gave the Tigers a level of satisfaction, after falling to the Bulldogs 52-50 earlier this season.
“It was a great team effort,” said Thrall Coach Charles Tindol, who is retiring at the end of the year.
Tindol said the win was a testament to something his late father, Grady Tindol, used to say when he was a coach. “He always said, it’s amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit,” Tindol said.
He was referring to how the Tigers have come together this season and played as a team, rather than a group of individuals.
Entering Tuesday’s game, Thrall had four senior starters averaging double-figure scoring. Steven Walker leads the team with 14 points per game, while Breken Proctor averages 12.8. Ethan Dahl has been scoring 11.2 points per outing, and Dawson Meiske has been putting in 10 points per game. Meiske had a team-high 21 rebounds, while Walker also had doubledigit boards with 13.
What has made this team so successful is how the players back each other up. Not every player can be hot in every game. Inevitably, someone is going to have an off-night shooting, but for the Tigers, that is when the rest of the team steps it up. Each of the five starters, including junior Payton Gillmore, and reservist, senior Carson Ball, has had their night to shine. But, typically, three or more Tigers will turn in a solid performance each game.
That was the case Tuesday night. The Bulldogs were able to hold Dahl to a mere two points, but Walker, Proctor, and Meiske picked up the slack, each scoring in double figures. Walker finished the night as the game’s leading scorer with 16 points. Proctor dropped in 15, including a trio of three-point shots, and Meiske tallied 13 points. Gillmore added eight points to the cause, and Ball came off the bench to score five for the Tigers.
“It was a great win for us,” Tindol said. “The guys played a good game and played together as a team.”
The win also brought back memories of some of their previous close losses this season. Thrall’s five losses have come by a total of 13 points, including the earlier two-point loss to the Bulldogs. The Tigers also dropped a twopoint game to Holland and fell to Hearne by two in overtime last week.
The Tigers will face the Bloomington Bobcats (21-8) in the bi-district round of the playoffs Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at neutral site Luling High School.
